Chandler Kohn is an investment banker with FOCUS Investment Banking’s Automotive Aftermarket team, where he leads the firm’s Heavy-Duty Truck Parts and Service industry coverage. He advises clients on sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions and capital raising initiatives, with a focus on helping owners scale or successfully transition their businesses.
Kohn is also the host of Know to Grow: A Light to Heavy-Duty Podcast, where he interviews owners, CEOs, and senior executives on best practices and forward-looking strategies for building durable, scalable businesses. The podcast is the only industry-specific platform focused on scalability and valuation within the heavy-duty parts and service sector.
With deep automotive industry expertise, a broad executive network, and extensive transaction experience, Kohn serves as a trusted advisor to small and middle-market business owners pursuing partial or full exits, buy-side strategies, or growth capital solutions. Prior to joining FOCUS in 2023, he was Vice President of Investment Banking at Capstone Financial Group, a boutique M&A advisory firm focused on the automotive aftermarket, with experience across suppliers, service shops, distributors, and automotive technology startups. Earlier in his career, he worked in oil and gas and power trading strategy consulting, building a strong analytical and market-driven foundation.
Coming from a multi-generational family of entrepreneurs whose business employed up to 70 people at its peak, Kohn brings firsthand understanding of the realities of building and operating a small business. This perspective, combined with his deal experience, enables him to create effective one-time private transaction markets for clients, with a focus on readiness, risk, legacy, and outcome.
Kohn lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and daughter. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, saltwater fishing, fitness training, and exploring Charleston’s culinary scene. He holds a Master of Science in Finance from Tulane University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the College of Charleston, and maintains FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses.